Brighstone Again!

Finally back in Brighstone for a week of dog-sitting having been put off for two years due to Covid-19 restrictions. The heat wave has abated and we have had a week of sunshine, showers and drizzle. Perfect! Rosie, who I normally look after, is now old and arthritic and cannot walk far anymore, but there is a new addition in the form of Monty the black and white Collie puppy, who is about a year old, fully grown and a proper attention seeker. Just like a toddler.

We have done a variety of walks around the Coombe Lane area, as follows:

Limerstone Down

Up Coombe Lane to the end of the cottages, follow the footpath around until it becomes a tunnel of trees and follow that to the perpendicular junction at the top of the incline. Turn left and follow the increasingly steep path up to the top of Limerstone Down where it meets Brighstone Forest. Wander about in the forest for a while then follow the main path to Lynch Lane and walk back down the hill, stopping to pick wild apples and blackberries along the way.

Rowborough Down Reservoir

Up Coombe Lane to the end of the cottages, then turn right and through a gate leading uphill. Check if there are sheep present if your dog is off the lead. Follow the path uphill (it's quite steep!) to a set of double gates at the top. Once through these you can turn left and follow a level path - excellent for stick throwing - to the end of the field and either go downhill or retrace your steps. Back at the gate you can continue straight on, which will lead you to a path where you turn left to make your way either back to Coombe Lane or up to the top of Limerstone Down, or turn right and follow the path to the village. You could also turn right at the gate and choose either a steep path downhill or a slightly shallower path down through a gully. Both will take you to the village.

Grammars Common and the Longstone

Follow Lynch Lane downhill to a turning on your right (BS83), keeping the dog on the lead until you are past the houses, then along the footpath (BS56), avoiding the turning for Gaggerhill Farm (BS65) and along the road until you get to a footpath on your right leading to Gaggerhill (BS64). Follow this to a lane, turn right and keep going until you see the footpath for Grammars Common on your left. Turn here, follow the path uphill pausing to admire the view at the top before going into the woods at Grammars Common. Follow the well-signposted path through the woods, across a field leading downhill to Strawberry Lane. Beware of cows. Cross the road and turn right before shortly turning left and following the path to the Longstone. Pause here for a while and enjoy the peace and quiet, take in the views, and have a swig of mead if you remembered to bring some (we didn't). You have choices here; we chose to retrace our steps to Strawberry Lane, walk uphill and then down Lynch Lane, but you could also pick up a path that leads to the top of Mottistone Down and from there head either to Brook Down or back to Lynch Lane or through Brighstone Forest. Choices galore, all glorious.

Strawberry Lane car park to Mottistone

We had a cunning plan, and popped the dog in one car and drove both cars to the National Trust car park near Mottistone Manor, then drove the one with the dog in to the National Trust car park at the top of Strawberry Lane. Slight change to our plan here as there was a herd of cows baby the gate, so we scooted into the forest to the right and followed the path uphill and emerged near the top of Westover Down. Here we climbed on top of a hillock, probably a tumulus as there are several here, and surveyed the view. We could see the Solent to our north, the aenglish Channel to the west and south, and the entire west coast of the island stretching away below us.

We wandered back down the hill briefly before turning right and heading steeply downhill and following a small path until it met a broad official path that led through a gate. The dog found a very long branch which he decided to take with him! This path met others, so we turned left and headed for the longstone, and then right and downhill again, through woods, and then to the car park. Glorious!

Brighstone

Today was dog-walking day, training me for dog-sitting with a boisterous young collie in the summer. We walked down Lynch Lane towards Brighstone, turning right onto a footpath which headed along a dappled lane, through a gate and a sharp right turn alongside a paddock. The path then split, with the right hand path heading towards Gaggerhill Farm, or continue straight on towards Moortown. We took the latter route, then picked up another footpath which led to Gaggerhill avoiding the farm. From there we walked uphill towards Grammars Common and had a lovely shady amble through the pine woods, with a steep climb at one point, and discovering a clearing that had an abandoned campsite later on. No tents, just the remains of a fire and some rusting cooking equipment.

We continued on and came out onto a footpath near Black Barrow (buried under rhododendrons), and crossed a field to come out on Strawberry Lane. Glorious! The verges and banks were covered in wildflowers, with lots of pyramidal orchids in particular. We strolled up the hill in the sunshine, avoided getting run over by tourists who were blindly following their satnavs, and got to the top where we paused to catch our breath and admire the view. The West Wight truly is gorgeous. We turned right at the top and headed back down Lynch Lane towards Brighstone and lunch.

Bembridge Down and Culver

Today was a glorious spring day, so my friend and I decided that a yomp up to the Yarborough Monument on Culver Down would be the ideal way to test post-covid lung capacity!

We parked in the estate beyond the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary, crossed the road and the carpark beyond, then began our ascent along a path in the turf. The path led through some scrub, past an abandoned building that may have been a gun emplacement in WW2, before coming out into the open again by a holiday camp. 

Soon we were on National Trust land and walking along the top of Red Cliff, aptly named for the colour of the rock. To our right was a large area of landslip, covered in golden gorse; as we breathed in we were hit by the delicious coconutty smell of gorse blossom - glorious!

Soon we were ascending again, this time on chalk Downland and heading ever upwards to the monument. When we got there, we discovered the tea stall was shut, but luckily the pub offered tea and a seat with a lovely view of the channel. 

We descended after a while, listening to the skylarks and admiring the view across Sandown Bay. When we reached the far side of the landslip, we turned left and followed a path down through the gorse bushes, took our chances on a makeshift set of stepping stones on a very muddy section, and eventually ended up on the beach. We strolled along looking vaguely for sea glass and new-to-science fossils (no such luck!) before heading back to the car and home.

Seaview Circular Walk

 Today was cold but bright, at least to start with, so a trip to Seaview seemed in order. Parking at the car park in Pier Road, we found the coastal path and started walking along it. The path along the road, then up and behind some magnificent houses, and past some significant earthworks,  then led along the seafront for a little while. The coastal path leads uphill and past the Priory Bay Hotel, leading to the end of the estate, down the road past Nodes Point Holiday Village, through a kissing gate on the left hand side and downhill through fields to St Helen's Duver Beach. We slowed down here and ambled along the seafront in search of a cup of tea, but the cafe was closed. We continued along, looking through cracks into beach huts which looked long abandoned but which will be used again soon I am sure, as soon as the weather warms up. They were once railway carriages.

We turned back and followed the beach to Nodes Point, past the remains of the church, and the partially submerged causeway that leads to Bembridge Fort at very low tides. The beach swings round past a rising, wooded cliff to a heap of rocks on the waters edge. We scrambled carefully over these, and came eventually to Priory Bay, thanking heaven that it was low tide! The beach here is pristine, a great sweep of sand with woods on one side and the sea on the other. Someone had taken the time to take great branches of driftwood, and partially burned logs and stand them upright in a rough line as an art installation. By this time the sky over Portsmouth was growing ever blacker, the sea was streaked with green, and the branches stood stark against the pale sand, the green sea and the darkening sky. Wonderful. 

Continuing on, we left Priory Bay and entered Seagrove Bay. There was a raised wooden walkway here leading to the promenade, so we followed this for a while before returning to the beach. Unfortunately, at this point the weather from Portsmouth hit the Island and we were caught in a mini snowstorm, rushing for shelter against the sea wall and watched the sand blowing along the beach. As the snow didn't let up we continued back along the coastal path to the car park and huddled for warmth against the heater. Glorious walk!

St Helen's Church

Railway Carriage Beach Huts

Periwinkles

Art installation

Carisbrooke - how many ways?

During this past year I have had many walks centering on Carisbrooke Castle, and have found several new footpaths and variations to my regular walk. The castle is such a focal point locally; not incredibly imposing until you're close by, but there in the background much of the time.

My regular walk goes along the footpath from the road entrance to Victoria Recreation Ground (Recreation Ground Road/ Wilver Road), to Wellington Road. From here I pick up another footpath leading past St Thomas' Primary and Christ the King College and on towards the ancient church. You can either go through the churchyard or straight on past the duck pond to Gunville Road (or right to the estate if you feel so inclined). Either way leads to the mini-roundabout. From here I cross to Clatterford Road, and continue along to Clatterford Shute which leads down to a ford through Lukely Brook, and on to Well Lane. From here I walk up the steep path to the castle carpark, round the moat path to a sunken path leading downhill back to Castle Hill, and from there to Spring Lane (another ford) and back to the Village.

I don't always have the energy to walk up the hill to the castle so wander along Miller's Lane instead, which is pretty. From Castle Hill, there are two footpaths leading downhill to either Miller's Lane or Castle Lane. 

I discovered another footpath recently;  having decided not to walk to the castle, I walked along Whitepit Lane as far as JJ's Chip Shop and found a footpath heading to the Castle. Well. I had to see where it went! The path led uphill for three quarters of a muddy mile and I eventually slithered out at the top of Mountjoy, between the deer park and the cemetery. There were benches in strategic places (yay!), and I paused several times to admire the magnificent view across Newport and straight up the River Medina. It wasn't because I was unfit, honest. Mind you, it was a narrow path and very muddy after recent rain so it was quite a tricky slither. Anyway, the path continued past the cemetery to Whitcombe Road, with the option of a path to Nunnery Lane. The road must be crossed here, and after a brief walk up hill leads to the castle moat via another short path.

I chose not to go to the moat that day as it had been very muddy the day before and I had done enough slithering about, so I followed the road round to Froglands Lane and stomped down here, past another ford, and hedgerows full of catkins and snowdrops. The lane joins up with Clatterford Shute  and Miller's Lane.

Another route was somewhat less direct; I walked along to Shide then up Nunnery Lane (very narrow and very little wiggle room if a car drives along). Nunnery Lane comes out at the top of Whitcombe Road opposite the carpark, and next to Carisbrooke Priory. From there, take your pick of routes already mentioned!

Newport and St George's Down

Lockdown 3 and lots of local exploration has been going on. Today I had a socially distanced ramble with a chum, in the freezing February sunshine. We meandered around the town for a little while, then headed up St John's Road to Watergate Road and down the footpath at the side of St George's School to Shide. From here we joined the footpath along the river and headed towards Blackwater. After a while, and a brief stop for a cuppa from a thermos, we came to a bridge and turned left along a muddy, permissive path back to the main road, passing the cricket club on our way. 

We took our lives in our hands and crossed the road and joined a footpath leading up to St George's Down. This led past Standen House, a rather lovely country pile with a nice front lawn and a haha. The path continued up the hill into woodland, calm and quiet and lovely. After a while, and several stops for two unfit females to catch their breath, and also being passed four times by an enthusiastic runner trying to work off his dinner, we reached the top, coming out on the Bembridge Trail. 

Turning left we continued along the path, dodging large frozen puddles and passing Newport Golf Club. The path met with St George's Lane which we descended slowly, pausing often to admire the views across the valley to the hills beyond. Along the way we found several bushes with icicles hanging from them, something I have not seen for some time. The lane joined with Pan Lane, and we walked along to a footpath that led past some houses and back to the main road. A little further along we crossed over and joined the river path back to the town centre; we saw a heron standing on a little island of reeds mid-river and stopped for a while to watch it. Magnificent.

Niton and Bierley

Another walk with friends today, again starting in Niton. We headed up Pan Lane to Niton Shute and up to the top of the downs, filling our faces with blackberries enroute. From here we headed along the ridge towards the Hoy Monument but took a path on the right hand side a few hundred yards before we reached it. This led downhill through a small wood with fallen sycamores and lots of nettles; wild and lovely.

The path led past a cottage and across the top of a field, through a gate and into another field. After a scramble past a fallen willow and up a bank we discovered a large herd of cows and calves. We were a little nervous as the cattle were stood right on the footpath and we had two dogs with us (on leads). However, we got past without incident, passed through a gate and into a shady lane with views to a manor house, and followed a path by a stream through the woods. This eventually turned uphill and to the right, leading past an ancient carp pond on the left and then down to meet another stream where we found a small, hidden waterfall. Gorgeous! We got back on the path, found the road and followed it through Bierley and Kingates to Niton and lunch at the White Horse. Excellent excursion!